Chapter 2

"Landon, if you can't even handle this with a little decency, then we can skip all the usual breakup formalities and just..."

"Ah!"

Zoe's terrified scream suddenly came through the phone, drowning out the rest of my sentence.

The call disconnected immediately afterward.

Ten minutes later, Zoe posted an update.

Landon's tall frame was crammed into the bathroom, and from the angle of the photo, he seemed to be washing something.

[What a nightmare. My period came out of nowhere in the middle of the night, and I got blood all over my underwear.]

[But someone says girls shouldn't be dealing with cold water when they're on their period, so he told me to leave it to him. Guess I can go back to sleep.]

I thought about what Landon had said to me the night before, accusing me of being dramatic.

It felt like a thousand needles were stabbing at my heart until I almost couldn't feel the pain anymore.

A year earlier, I'd once jokingly asked Landon and Zoe a question while the three of us were playing a game.

"Have you two ever thought about getting back together?"

They exchanged identical looks of disgust before answering at the same time.

"Absolutely not!"

"I'll never forget the way she looked down on me back then just because I was broke!"

"Oh, please! Like I'd ever want a guy whose answer to everything is, 'Drink some water, and you'll feel better.'"

They'd argued until both of them were red in the face.

At the time, that had been enough to put my mind at ease.

Later, Zoe had asked me what I even saw in Landon.

I'd been too embarrassed to admit the truth.

I'd had a crush on him for six years, starting back in college.

Just to get closer to him, I'd started following the bands he liked and even sat through his mind-numbingly boring lectures from a quiet corner of the classroom.

I'd secretly added one of his roommates online, too, hoping to learn more about what he liked.

Then his roommate told me Landon already had a girlfriend.

She just went to a different school.

So I buried the crush and forced myself to move on.

Then, by sheer coincidence, the first project I was assigned during my internship was one he was leading.

Seeing him again, all those feelings I'd thought were long gone came rushing back.

Back in college, I'd been too insecure to tell anyone about my crush, not even Zoe.

And as far as Zoe was concerned, Landon barely even registered among the guys she'd dated. She certainly never bothered telling me the names of every ex she'd had.

So I'd honestly believed that even if they ever crossed paths again, nothing would happen between them.

After I sent Landon the recipe, exhaustion finally caught up with me, and I drifted off.

By the time I woke up, it was already the next afternoon.

I told my landlord I would be moving out, then called my mom.

"That guy you mentioned before... when I come home this time, I can make time to meet him."

My mom paused, clearly caught off guard. She seemed like she wanted to ask something, but in the end, she didn't.

"Okay. When are you coming back? Your dad and I will come pick you up."

Ever since Landon had stood us up that day, my parents never really warmed to him again.

I'd even accused them of judging him unfairly.

Thinking about it now, I could only laugh at myself.

I forced myself out of bed and started packing.

The matching ceramic mugs Landon had made for us two years ago went straight into the trash.

The framed photo of the two of us that we'd spent forever picking out, I burned.

The gifts he'd given me for birthdays and holidays, I photographed and listed them on a resale app.

Six years of secretly loving him.

Three years of actually being together.

It should have ended a long time ago.

"What are you doing?"

Landon stood in the doorway, staring at the pile of things I'd thrown out.

I didn't look at him and kept sorting through the closet.

"Nothing. Just getting rid of things I don't need anymore."

He stood there in silence for a long time before finally speaking, sounding tired.

"Do you really have to make such a big deal out of this?"

Then he walked over and wrapped his arms around me from behind.

A brand-new umbrella, tag still attached, appeared in front of me as he waved it lightly.

"I checked the forecast. It's supposed to rain for the next few days.

"Don't forget your umbrella again."

The scent of Zoe's usual perfume reached me immediately.

It had never smelled so unbearable before.

"Give it to Zoe. She probably needs it more than I do."

I pushed his hand away.

The umbrella hit the floor with a sharp clatter.

Landon's expression darkened instantly.

"Quinn Sterling, what is your problem?

"I never should've listened to Zoe and come over here in the first place."